Folsom Native Plant Society folsomnps.org February 2013

Next Meeting Date: Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. Place: Bordelon’s Hummingbird Hill, 72630 Holly Rd., Covington, LA 70433 Directions: Located 1 mile west of Covington High School (Hwy. 190), take a left on Holly Road #1 (the next street after Redwood in case the street sign is still down) and follow the road as it curves to the right. Go straight past the basketball goal into our drive.

From the President’s Corner

Greetings All So it is official, Punxsutawney Phil and the Cajun Groundhog (aka muskrat), Pierre C. Shadeaux did not see their shadows. Hooray, we will continue to have spring weather. Let’s hope that both rodents are accurate weather predictors. This winter I've been trying to outwit rabbits in the garden and mice in the greenhouse. So far the score is rodents 0 and Yvonne 2, but the battle continues.

The Spring Plant Show at the Covington Fairgrounds is right around the corner. We still need some volunteers for the FNPS booth. There will be a sign-up sheet at the February meeting. Please contact me or David & Candyce if you can help. Everyone (both renewing members and new) will get to choose 3 native plants at the show when they pay their 2013 membership dues.

All the tree seedlings have been potted thanks to David and Candyce and a few volunteers. We hope that some of our members can donate additional native plants, including annuals, perennials and small to medium size shrubs. Not everyone who joins the FNPS has a large yard, so we could use some smaller plants to choose from.

The club ordered flats of 3 species of native milkweed, Asclepias viridis, A. incarnata and A. tuberosa. Some plants will be available for interested members in April or May, when the milkweed arrives.

The February meeting will be at my house. We'll package some wildflower seeds then take a tour of the habitat. Wear walking shoes, because the winter has been rainy and the woods may still be a little damp. Feel free to bring a tasty tidbit if you want to. I'll do my best to clear the trails of fallen trees, but could use some help because a couple of the logs need to be cut in order to move them. Yvonne L. Bordelon Louisiana Irises I recently attended a presentation by Patrick O'Connor of Zydeco Louisiana Iris Garden. He stated that during the early 1900's and up through the 1940's, the land around New Orleans was covered with acres of Louisiana irises in every color of the rainbow, including yellow. There were many Iris conservation societies whose members would comb the swamps and wilds in search of new species of iris.

At that time Dr. Small published a book, Small's Louisiana Irises, with full color plates describing over 100 species of Louisiana irises. Today it has been determined that only 5 or 6 separate species exist. These species hybridize in nature, producing the variety of flower shape, size and color that were once thought to be different species.

Today, many iris growers have produced such showy hybrid flowers that they have all but abandoned the beautiful native standard plants. It is my hope that we, the members of the FNPS, can help to keep some of the original native Louisiana irises safe by planting some of each of the six species in our gardens. I am including I. virginica as it is truly a Northshore native, even though LA iris specialists don't consider it a species of "Louisiana" iris.

Species of Louisiana Iris  Iris hexagona – An east Coast species that no longer grows in Louisiana, it is common in Florida. Blue like I. giganticaerulea, but not as tall.  Iris fulva - Found in the Delta in shallow water and in ditches, Brick red or copper, medium height  Iris brevicaulis - Found on highest ground, shades of blue, late blooming and short zigzag flower stems  Iris giganticaerulea - Found in swamps and marshes, very tall blue iris, up to 8 feet  Iris nelsonii - Found in a small area in western Louisiana, tall and red, sometimes yellow  Iris virginica - not considered a Louisiana iris, but grows native in wet areas on the Northshore. Medium height, shades of white to blue

Places to See Louisiana Irises Denny Trahan of Slidell has done much work locating native stands of Louisiana irises. Attractive collections of Louisiana irises can be found in Longview Gardens (New Orleans), at the Sculpture garden in City Park and also Big Lake in City Park.

Sustainable Gardening - Plant a Bee Garden Both native bees and imported European honeybees are declining. You can increase their numbers by providing large groups of food plants for bees. Here is a list of some pollinator favorites. Many attract butterflies, too. Remember that more pollinators result in more fruits and vegetables in your garden.

Bees and their plants like plenty of sun. Plant large groups of natives, herbs and flowering plants near the vegetable garden or just let them grow in your flower beds and lawn. The flowers bloom at different times and will provide a continuous food supply for these valuable pollinators.

Bee Plants Oregano Phacelia Sage Catnip (Nepeta cataria) Crocus Lemon Mint (Monarda citriodora) Sunflowers - you will attract more bees if you plant the Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) varieties that produce pollen. Bachelor's Button (Centaurea cyanus) Coriander/Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) January Study Plants Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) Strawberry Bush, Wahoo (Euonymous americana) Borage (Borago officinalis) Thornless Smilax Lavender Cherry Laurel Buckwheat Iron Wood Black-eyed Susan Red Oak Forget-me-nots White Violet Sweet Clover Winter Honeysuckle Thyme Clematis - Sweet Autumn Cosmos Wild Blueberry (Vaccinium elloittii) Asters

Good Links to Gardening Information Zydeco Nursery - www.zydecoirises.com LSU AgCenter LA Iris Booklet download - http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/publications/Publications+Catalog/Lawn+and+Garden/Landscaping/Lo uisiana+Iris.htm Native Louisiana Irises - www.squidoo.com/native-louisiana-irises Fertilize with Epsom Salt - www.garden.org/articles/articles.php?q=show&id=68&page=1 Bee Garden - www.houseofbees.com/pages/Gardening-for-Bees.html

Book Corner The Louisiana Iris: The Taming of a Native American Wildflower, 2nd Edition

Folsom Native Plant Society Facebook Page – http://www.facebook.com/FolsomNativePlantSociety

Statement of Purpose: The purpose of our group is to protect, perpetuate, and propagate the abundant native plants of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, and adjacent areas, focusing primarily on our native wildflowers, which are fast disappearing; and to discourage pollution of our water and ground so basic to their survival.

Our Board for 2012 FNPS Meeting Dates President: Yvonne Bordelon Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. - Seed packaging and Habitat tour Place: Vice President: Kraig Stutes Yvonne Bordelon's house.

Treasurer: David Scherer March 15-16, 2013 Spring Garden Show, No Meeting in March Recorder: A.J. Bailey Sunday, April 21, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. – Place Newsletter: Nick Blady [email protected] – A.J. Bailey’s house, Plant Swap Publishers: Candyce & David Scherer Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. Place –

Hospitality Coordinator: Candyce Scherer & Deborah Nolan Kraig Stutes’ house, Pottery Hill Site Tour

FNSP Website: (http://folsomnps.org) Yvonne Bordelon Check the FNPS Facebook page for other native plant dates and news.

Folsom Native Plant Society P.O. Box 1055 Folsom, LA 70437